


Rules Were Meant To Be Broken

by KatyaMorrigan



Category: Lore Olympus (Webcomic)
Genre: F/M, Healthy Boundaries Discussion, Healthy Relationships, Hecate is a snitch, Holding Hands, Hugs, Kissing, Office, Touching, Work Boundaries, and we love her for it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:06:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27741220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatyaMorrigan/pseuds/KatyaMorrigan
Summary: Hades is concerned that he and Persephone are too physically affectionate at work, and so Persephone agrees to some new boundaries. No kissing, no touching, nothing that the other workers are not permitted to do. But it's much harder than either of them expect. How long can they keep this up when all they want to do is be with each other?
Relationships: Hades/Persephone (Lore Olympus)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 92





	Rules Were Meant To Be Broken

**Author's Note:**

> Day 27 of my NaNoWriMo writing challenge this year - one oneshot a day, every day for the whole of November. I'm following the SOFTober 2020 prompts by @wafflesandkruge on Instagram to give me some fluffy starting points for the coming month of fics.  
> The prompt for today was "hug".  
> I hope you enjoy!

“Sweetness,” Hades said one evening after dinner, “I would like to talk to you about something.”

Persephone swallowed. That didn’t sound good. He hadn’t used the phrase “we need to talk”, which was a small mercy, but that kind of sentence still felt pretty foreboding. She sat up a little straighter on the sofa and made sure she was listening to him properly.

“Of course,” she said. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing is really the matter,” Hades assured her, “but I just want to discuss… workplace boundaries.”

Oh.

“In what way?” she said, blinking uncertainly.

“You’re very affectionate, and that’s not to say I don’t appreciate it,” Hades smiled, “but when we are at work, I feel it’s better to keep things within a more… professional range.”

Persephone blushed and looked down at her hands in her lap.

“I do my best to be professional.”

“I know you do sweetness, and it’s wonderful. But given the boundaries I put in place around other workplace relationships, I feel bad to not at least try to uphold them myself.”

He tilted his head, and Persephone looked up. There was a gentle smile on his blue lips, and he reached forwards to pet her thigh.

“I’m not saying you have to stop seeing me at work or anything like that,” Hades said. “But maybe we can talk specifically about what is appropriate for in front of our co-workers.”

She felt bad for all the times she had run along his office just to drop off another cup of coffee and kiss him on the cheek, or slide into his lap while he answered an email or two before returning to her typing pool. There were the kisses in the elevator, the hand-holding through the corridors, the lingering arms around waists and shoulders and touches whenever he was within reach. Persephone just liked to be with him, and loved to show him just how much she liked being in his presence.

“What is it you don’t like me doing then?” she asked, leaning her chin on her arms.

“Well,” Hades said, turning away, “there was this afternoon.”

Persephone thought back to the day just passed. She had dropped into his office as she was passing on the way to hand over some old documents that weren’t needed. Hades had been sat at his desk with a furrowed brow, his glasses pressed aggressively against his eyes and his back hunched as he focused on the laptop screen in front of him.

“Lots to do?” she had asked as she walked in, placing her folders on the edge of his crammed desk so that she could walk around to him and rub his shoulder gently. Hades sighed heavily and sat back in his chair, taking off his glasses and rubbing the bridge of his nose.

“I would very much like to stop being a god and go plough some fields in the mortal realm rather than deal with all of this,” he groaned. Persephone giggled.

“That can be arranged,” she said, sitting gently across his legs and leaning into his chest. The warmth of his body through his white shirt was very comforting, and Persephone reached up to stroke his heart. Hades chuckled and drew his arms around her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

“As much as I am tempted, I would once again prefer not to talk to your mother.”

“She would be more than happy to set you to work in the fields,” Persephone teased, squeezing his bicep. “There’s nothing she likes more than making you and your brothers uncomfortable.”

“And don’t we know it,” he sighed, curling his fingers through her hair. “This is lovely sweetness, but I do have to get on with this work, no matter how much I dislike it.”

“No problem, Aidoneus.” Persephone pressed a quick kiss to his lips and climbed off his lap, collecting her folders as she left. “Good luck!”

“I need it.”

He had given her a wave through the window as she left, and then Persephone had gone on with her day. Thinking back on it now, she racked up the number of intimacies that had gone on in that brief interaction. Touching his shoulder – ding. Sitting in his lap – ding. Touching his chest – ding. Touching his arm – ding. Kissing him – ding. It was all so easy to do though, and Persephone hadn’t thought for a second about the fact that they were at work. Then again, there was the obvious benefit of Hades having nearly an entire floor as his office, with limited drop-in hours.

“So you don’t want me coming to your office during the day?” she asked, shuffling a little closer to him. Hades pulled a face and sighed.

“Well, you can still come to see me,” he said. “But maybe it’s for the best if we only talk. No kissing or touching.”

“Okay,” Persephone said slowly, “but what about when we get into work?”

She loved that part of their routine – getting ready together in the morning, driving into work, holding hands on their way into the building and then heading to their separate areas of Tower 1 for the day after a kiss goodbye. It was one of her favourite things, his hand tucked in hers for the duration of the walk in and that quick peck before he headed for the elevator. Their relationship was public knowledge at this point, so there was never any effort to hide it, but Persephone especially liked those small examples of PDA that they allowed themselves.

“We can kiss in the lobby,” Hades suggested, “but then that’s it until we head home. Is that fair?”

“Of course!” she said, nodding fervently. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable at work, and it’s not so difficult for me to hold back, I swear.”

Persephone grinned sheepishly. Admittedly, it was more difficult than she might admit for her to hold back on kissing and touching him. Hades was her boyfriend, and she adored him. Who wouldn’t want to take every opportunity to show someone as wonderful as him that she cared?

“I’m glad we talked about this.” Hades smiled. “Thank you for being so receptive to things like this. I never want you to feel that I don’t appreciate all of your affection.”

“I know you love it,” Persephone assured him. She moved forwards to kiss him on the cheek and settle into his lap. “Plus I can still be as touchy as I want at home!”

“Absolutely,” he chuckled, stroking her face. “You can save it all up for when we get back.”

***

The next day, Persephone was prepared to follow exactly what they had discussed the night before. She got in all the kissing and adoring touches that she could while they were in the house, then had their final kiss goodbye in the lobby, and steeled herself to be good for the rest of the day.

Fortunately Persephone’s work was solid that day, so she didn’t have a chance to drop in and see Hades. Probably for the best, as the thought of having to restrain herself was making even the possibility of just talking to him seem like more of a challenge.

She went along to Hecate’s office instead, and they had a chat about the way things were going at the top of the corporate ladder. Persephone was permanently grateful that she had such close friends in the Underworld, and Hecate was one of the best for gossiping and for good conversation. Never shy of being critical but always waiting with open arms to help with problems, she amused Persephone with an anecdote about Minthe’s latest bratty behaviour, and then followed up with an inquiry about herself and Hades.

“We’re doing really well!” Persephone smiled. “We had a talk last night about being a bit less romantic in the workplace, but that was just because Hades doesn’t want to do things that he wouldn’t let other employees do.”

Hecate snorted.  
“You really think other people are going to be bothered?” she said. “I certainly don’t care how gross and smoochy you are around here.”

“…You called us “sickening” the last time you saw us kiss.”

“That’s besides the point,” Hecate grinned. “I like seeing you both happy, and Hades is the big boss. He could incinerate people who were dicks about it if he wanted to.”

“I’d rather he didn’t,” Persephone laughed.

At that moment, there was a curt knock on the door, and Hades himself entered. He looked surprised to see Persephone, but walked right in to stand behind the desk that Persephone was perched on.

“Hello, love!” she called, reaching out for his hand. Hades extended his own, but they both stopped as soon as they realised. _No touching,_ Persephone scolded herself, folding it back into her lap as Hades scratched the back of his head.

“Hello my sweetness,” he said with a smile. “I came in to check with Hecate about some reports that were due to come in this morning. I take it you didn’t see my email, then?”

“Inbox has been pinging all morning. I muted it about an hour ago.”

“I see,” Hades sighed. “Well, please will you check it now and send me the files whenever you can?”

He turned to go, leaning down as if to kiss Persephone on the head, but stopped himself at the last minute, clenching his hands into fists and heading for the door.

“Goodbye, ladies.”

“Bye, boss!”

“See you tonight, honey!”

The door closed and they both looked at each other, Hecate with a wide grin and Persephone with an awkward giggle.

“I can sense another conversation soon enough,” Hecate said.

“We can do it,” Persephone protested. “It was the first day. It’ll get easier, and we’ll be used to it before too long.”

***

As predicted, Hades asked to review the rules that evening.

“It’s very difficult not being intimate with you at all,” he admitted. “Perhaps if we extend it to hugs within the workplace, but nothing more?”

“That would work,” she agreed. “I hug Hecate and Hermes a lot, and it’s just platonic. Anyone can hug a colleague.”

***

They tried it the following day. Persephone popped into Hades’ office with a cereal bar and some coffee. Hecate had dropped her an email saying that Hades hadn’t managed to eat lunch, and that disturbing him might be a good idea. She wasn’t one to pass up the opportunity to see her favourite person, so Persephone walked right in, opening the door with her hip and closing it again in the same way.

“I have been informed that a certain god isn’t taking care of himself,” she chided gently as she put the mug and bar on his desk. “Emails?”

“This time it’s a data inaccuracy, unfortunately,” he grimaced. “And because it’s confidential information, I have to be the one to go through the spreadsheets. By hand.”

Persephone made a sympathetic noise and went to run her fingers through his hair. But that wasn’t part of the rules. She wiped her hands down the front of her skirt and cleared her throat.

“May I hug you?”

Hades spun his chair and gave her a smile.

“Of course.” He patted his lap and Persephone took his hand, sitting across his thighs and throwing her arms around his neck as he cradled her close. It felt so good being able to hold him like this, and to offer that little respite from his work.

“Is this within the rules?” Persephone mumbled against his shoulder.

“We’re only hugging, so it’s fine.”

“But I’m sat in your lap. And you touched my butt just now.”

Hades sighed heavily and released her.

“You’re right. Sorry, sweetness, that was my fault.”

“No, it’s okay. I liked it,” she smiled. “But these were rules you wanted to keep, so I feel bad that we keep slipping up.”

Hades covered his face with his hands and leaned against the desk, staring at the laptop screen again with a mournful expression.

“I’m not very good at keeping my hands to myself either, it seems,” he remarked.

“Should we give up and just accept we can’t be entirely professional at work?”

“No, we can do it. I believe in us. I just need to not get carried away.”

Hades grinned as Persephone adjusted her skirt. She gave him an accusatory look and he laughed.

“This has to work both ways,” she admonished him. “If I can’t touch your hair, you certainly can’t touch my butt in your office.”

“You’re very right,” he said, still laughing a little. “I’m sorry, Kore.”

“It’s no problem.”

They smiled at each other and Persephone headed for the door again. She turned to look at him one last time.

“Eat the damn cereal bar, Aidoneus.”

“Yes, my love, I will. Thank you.”

***

They tried again the next day, but they both found it incredibly uncomfortable. Persephone approached the water cooler to refill her bottle and found Hades there, as well as some nymphs.

“Hello!” she exclaimed, running over to see him and automatically leaning up for a kiss. Hades reached out to hold her waist and receive her affection, but realised at the last second that they were breaking the rules again and stood up straight again his mouth now out of Persephone’s reach.

“What..? Oh.”

Persephone remembered herself, and awkwardly giggled.

“Sorry, Hades.”

“Not a problem, love.” But he was now twisting his paper cup in his large hands, and it collapsed under the pressure of his fingers, spilling water over the floor. A nymph stopped talking to her friend and fetched a mop from the supply closet, making a startled noise as she opened it but then saying nothing more.

“I can clean it for you, sir,” she assured him, mopping up the water and then returning the mop to the cupboard with a wary look inside.

Persephone filled up her bottle quickly and left without saying another word, grimacing to herself all the way back to her desk.

That evening in the car, Hades apologised profusely.

“I didn’t intend to be rude at all,” he gushed, “I was so focused on following our rules that I immediately backed out, but it looked so bad in front of everyone, and I’m so terribly sorry for doing that to you.”

“It’s okay, I understand,” Persephone assured him, but she sat as small as she could, hugging her legs in the front seat. “I’m just too eager to be with you. I can’t help myself, and I’m sorry for that.”

The rest of the journey was miserably awkward once more, and when they got home, Persephone let Hades walk the dogs alone as she got out the ingredients to make dinner. It was an unhappy affair, and Hades wordlessly helped with the preparation once he had returned. They ate quietly, talking only when necessary and avoiding looking at each other. Persephone didn’t want to make Hades feel any worse than he already did, and she was so ashamed of being unable to help him do this one thing to uphold his professionalism at the corporation.

Once they had washed up the dishes and were sitting on the sofa again, she finally decided to say something.

“How much of this is something you actually want, Aidoneus?” she asked.

“How do you mean, sweetness?”

“You’re intent on appearing professional at work,” she explained, “but do you really think that your employees judge you so much for loving your girlfriend?”

“If I don’t permit that same kind of public affection among the workers, then I feel uncomfortable with doing so myself,” he sighed. “I don’t think they judge me for loving you, but that they would judge me for being so harsh on them while allowing myself such freedoms.”

“You are the King of the Underworld,” Persephone noted wryly, and Hades did smile at that.

“And a just ruler tends to have more compliant citizens than a lavish one.”

“All I’m saying is that this seems like a restriction you are placing on yourself for reasons that don’t actually exist,” she elaborated. “I-If this is actually something you want, purely because you don’t want to, then I completely understand. But if the only reason you want us to try so hard is because you don’t want your employees to think you are unfair, then I think you have misplaced your fears.”

Hades sat quietly, picking at a loose thread on the cuff of his jacket.

“Do you not want to be seen with me at the office?” Persephone asked in a small voice.

“Gods, no!” His reply was instant, and it immediately quelled that tiny doubt that had sprung in Persephone’s mind. “Sweetness, if I could have your arms around me all day, I would.”

They both smiled gratefully.

“You don’t think it’s worth trying to do this, then?” Hades asked.

“I certainly don’t think it’s worth complicating our own feelings for the sake of something that we probably don’t need to worry about,” Persephone said. “If the workers complained about it, then we should definitely consider changing our behaviour. But if I’m happy with it how it was before, and you’re happy with it…”

Hades’ phone buzzed, and he tutted as he turned it over on the coffee table. There was a text from Hecate – Persephone saw the profile picture, but nothing else. Hades picked up his phone and opened it. Persephone saw his eyes flick over the text, and he gave a scandalised laugh.

“Can you believe it! Well, this puts our fears to rest.”

“What is it?”

“Hecate says she had a nymph report to her that “a senior nymph and a lower god” were found… intimately involved in the supply closet this afternoon. And she has sent me a screenshot of the security camera footage.”

Hades passed her his phone, and Persephone gasped as she saw the picture. The nymph who had mopped up their spilt water at the cooler was shown from behind, looking into the open closet door. A pair of red legs were visible at the top of the screen, either side of a grey pair.

“Well that absolutely tears it.” Hades shook his head. “If that kind of thing can happen in Tower 1, then I can absolutely kiss you in my office.”

Persephone giggled.

“I’m glad that has decided it for you,” she said. “But also I’m really concerned by that. Is it safe to erm, do that in a supply closet?”

“My concern is with the nymph who saw it,” Hades smirked. “Anyone daft enough to do that on company time in front of the security camera deserves the injuries they get.”

Persephone laughed again and leaned into Hades’ chest. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, smiling down at her as she tilted her head up once more. She reached up a hand, stroking his jaw, and Hades lowered his head to move his lips against hers. Persephone was delighted to think of kissing Hades in his office again, resting her head on his shoulder, pulling teasingly on his tie, but really her mind was just on the fact that he was kissing her now. And that it would happen again soon enough.

**Author's Note:**

> Slightly tenuous link to today's prompt, but hey, I loved this idea for a fic and thought it would be super fun to write. We love characters who engage in healthy discussions of boundaries and who are respectful of them - but who also find it hard to keep their hands off each other. This was so much fun, and I hope you enjoyed reading it!
> 
> Tomorrow's prompt is "blush", and it will be a Six of Crows fic.


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